Thursday, November 27, 2014

Giving thanks

I found Christo and Dora today hanging out together in Tompkins Square right above the tables where volunteers were serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless.

Dora and Christo spend Thanksgiving in Tompkins Square

While Christo contentedly preened, Dora took off to go grab a snack.

Dora and Christo spend Thanksgiving in Tompkins Square

I noticed something about her this year - she doesn't have any speckling on her leg feathers, or else the markings are very faint.

Dora

You can also see here her legs are a smooth solid color.

Dora

For comparison, you can clearly see brown markings on Christo's legs (this was taken last May).

Christo the hawk with a pigeon

Here he is today after catching as mouse. 

Christo

The pair stuck close together all day, flying round the park, each taking turns hunting.  At the end of the day, they took a long break atop St Nicholas of Myra on Avenue A and 10th Street.  I watched them until it got dark.  Christo eventually flew off ot the west and Dora to the north, to parts unknown...

Thanksgiving with Christo and Dora

See more hawk photos on my Flickr page.

Previous hawk posts.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Back in the spotlight

In my previous hawk post, I accused Christo of hogging the spotlight.  He's in and around Tompkins Square so often, it's almost impossible to not encounter him.  Dora is more mysterious and tends to keep more distance between us, so I was really happy last Saturday to catch her spending some time in the park.

I first saw her atop the Christodora apartment building on Avenue B and 9th Street.

Dora atop the Christodora

This is, of course, where the hawk pair had their nest last spring and the building for which they were named.  Almost exactly a year ago (November 29, 2013), I took my first photo (below) of the pair atop the building as they scouted out the neighborhood.  It would be another month or so before they claimed the park as their territory.

On top of the Christodora
Christo on the left, Dora on the right.

 Dora took off from the rooftop and headed east, returning a short time later with a pigeon.

Dora with a pigeon

Then she did something I've never seen her do.  She flew all around the park with the pigeon as if she were looking for someone.  She started in a tree along Avenue B, then went to the popular feeding tree near the temperance fountain, to the big tree in the middle of the lawn, then over to this fire escape on Avenue B and 7th Street.

Dora with a pigeon

She didn't call out and I lost track of her around E 8th Street, so I don't know if she ate the pigeon, stashed it, or gave it to someone else.  As far as I know, Christo and Dora's offspring are all gone, but I have seen the two of them flying around with a juvenile recently.  This photo is from November 14, with the juvenile on the left.

Hawk chase over Tompkins Square

It doesn't seem likely Dora would be feeding a juvenile hawk at this time, so I am just speculating.

Meanwhile, plenty of other action has been taking place in the skies over the area.  On November 16, I caught both hawks engaging a kestrel over the Most Holy Redeemer church on 3rd Street and Avenue A.  Dora sat on the cross while Christo flew round and round the dome with the kestrel.  I tried getting a photo, but I was so far away, the kestrel came out as a blur.  This photo was taken at the same time with a plane substituting for the kestrel.  That's Christo flying and Dora is on the cross.

A plane, Christo and Dora

And I just can't resist posting a couple more photos of Christo because...well, he makes it so easy.

Christo

Spotlight!

Christo

See more hawk photos on my Flickr page.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Afternoon with Christo

I admit it.  I'm in love with this bird.

But who can possibly resist his charm?

Christo

Christo is always diving straight at my camera so I can't focus on him. I'm convinced he does this on purpose.

Christo

Just when it looks like he's coming after me...

Christo

...he captures his true target, a big juicy rat.

Christo grabs some lunch

Mmm!

Christo grabs some lunch

A bad day for Rat

After lunch, there's time for a little rest in the late afternoon sun.

Christo

Break over, it's off to patrol the park.

Christo 

Where's Dora?  She's definitely around.  I see the pair together most of the time, but Christo always manages to hog the spotlight.

See more photos here.

Previously.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Christo after dark

Last Friday, about a half hour after sunset, I caught Christo hunting in Tompkins Square for a late supper.

People were totally oblivious to him lurking in the dark near 7th Street and Avenue A.

Christo after dark

After about five minutes, he dove down to catch a rat behind a bench.

Christo after dark

You can just make out the rat in his right talon.

Christo after dark

I have to post a photo every time of any hawk that flies past the Joe Strummer mural...the rat still clings to a leaf.

Christo after dark

This guy looked up when the rat screamed as it sailed past him.

Christo after dark

And it kept on screaming...

Christo after dark

...all the way over to a tree near the St Mark's entrance, where dinner was served.

Christo after dark

See more photos here.

Previously.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Fall fashion

I caught up with Christo in Tompkins Square on a colorful autumn afternoon.

His plumage looks great against the fall foliage.

Christo

Christo

Christo

Christo

Christo

Christo

Christo

See more photos here, here, here and here.

Previously.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Tompkins Square hawk update

Now that the sun sets in late afternoon, I'm unable to get to Tompkins Square to play with the hawks before nightfall.  My time with them is now restricted to weekends and days off work.  What ever did I do with myself before I met these birds?  Ah, that's right!

Anyway, I did manage to catch some hawk action in the park this last weekend.  On Friday, a fellow hawk-watcher spotted a juvenile Cooper's hawk sitting in a tree near the Avenue A playground.  Just as we were getting a good look at it, one of the red-tails (not sure if it was Christo or Dora) swooped in and chased the young hawk off its perch.  Both hawks headed to the Avenue B side of the park, so we followed them over there only to find an adult Cooper's sitting calmly near the 8th Street entrance.

Cooper's hawk in Tompkins Square

After a while, both Christo and Dora flew around and chased the adult Cooper's away. 

On Sunday, there was an unexpected visitor flying over St Brigid's on Avenue B & St Marks...a red-shouldered hawk.

Red-shouldered hawk

The winds that day were really strong, so the hawks did a lot of soaring over the park.  Here's Christo doing a low fly-by...

Christo

...sizing up some dinner...

Eye on the prize

...and calling for Dora.

Christo calling

Dora came down into the park briefly before taking off again.

Dora

And the big surprise of the day was...a turkey vulture!

Turkey vulture over Tompkins Square

In other hawk-related news, Roger_Paw has an interesting post this week on the [non] use of rat poison in Washington Square.  I'm wondering if the same snap traps will be used in Tompkins Square as Christo and Dora are definitely living here now and could have plans to re-use their nest on the Christodora building.

Previously.